The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy maintains this blog to disseminate information relevant to astronomers who identify as women. If you have an idea for a blog post or topic, please submit to wia-blog at lists.aas.org.
The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the CSWA, the AAS, its Board of Trustees, or its membership.

As a new academic year begins, we invite you to help us expand our community of readers and contributors. Please forward this issue of AASWOMEN to any new students, post-docs, and scientists that may be interested. Instructions for how to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN appear at the end of each issue and are repeated here.

Researchers find that men outscore women by large margins in studies that test 3-D spatial visualization. Some attribute this persistent gender gap to innate differences, but others suspect that boys might develop these skills when playing with Lego and Erector Sets. The good news is that recent research shows that these spatial skills can be taught, even at the college level. After taking a class specifically designed to teach spatial skills, test scores of college students improved from an average of 52 % (failing) to 82 %, which is more typical for successful engineering students. Kids can build a fort for their soldiers or a castle for their princesses, but the important thing is to build!

Sorby, S. A., amp; Baartmans, B. J. (2000). The development and assessment of a course for enhancing the 3-D spatial visualization skills of first year engineering students. Journal of Engineering Education, 89(3), 301-07.

A summary of these studies can be found in Chapter 5 of the excellent AAUW publication, "Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics," compiled by Hill, Corbett amp; St. Rose. You can download a copy here:

Personal note: "Why So Few?" is an excellent publication, but don't let what happened to me happen to you. I started reading from the beginning and never got through the long and detailed Introduction. Make no mistake, the Introduction is full of important information, but I confess that I did get bogged down in it. Chapter 5 on Spatial Skills is short and to the point. If you work at a school with an engineering department or a university with an engineering school, please pass this information on to your engineering colleagues.

Back to top.3. Strategies for Addressing Harassment and PrejudiceFrom: Dara Norman [dnorman_at_noao.edu]

At the January 2011 AAS meeting in Seattle, WA, the CSMA and CSWA will co-sponsor a special session entitled, "Strategies for Addressing Harassment and Prejudice". The session is scheduled for 10 January 2011, 10:00am-11:30am. Please join us!

As with many companies, industries and universities, the field of Astronomy is not immune to harassment or prejudice. The proliferation of student and professional blogs now document many cases of harassment (sexual and otherwise) within the field by perpetrators at all levels. Victims of such abuses often feel alone and without recourse. Fear of not being believed or of retaliation keep those involved from reporting these incidents and often institutional policies on harassment and EEOC complaints have not been made clear or are disregarded.

The session is intended to provide practical information on addressing harassment and prejudice in the workplace and the classroom. Speakers were selected because of their expertise with the legal, human resources, and EEOC aspects of combating harassment and prejudice in the workplace, as well as for their familiarity with the field of Astronomy. The speakers will provide information on documenting abuses, seeking help and support within as well as outside of one's immediate workplace, and the legal obligations of those to whom the abuse is reported. The organizers encourage attendance by colleagues at all levels who are interested in eradicating common and currently accepted prejudice and harassment from our field.

Title: What to do about Inappropriate Behavior Speaker: Prof. Bernice Durand has been the Vice Provost for diversity and climate, senior diversity officer and is a professor of physics at University of Wisconsin Madison. She is also the Chair of the AURA Workforce and Diversity Committee.

Has your daughter or another young girl in your life ever shown interest in helping animals, piloting planes or creating her own toys? If so, it could be a sign that she's primed for a future career in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). In 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that employment in professional scientific and technical services will grow by 34 percent, adding about 2.7 million new jobs by 2018; experts say now is the time to encourage a young girl's interest in these thriving fields.

Despite the growing professional opportunities and market need, women are significantly underrepresented in STEM fields, and research from the 2010 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index identifies a basic hurdle that needs to be overcome: Ninety-one percent of teenage girls say they're interested in one or more of those four subjects, but almost 33 percent might feel discouraged to pursue a related career because they either don't know anyone working in these fields or don't understand what STEM jobs entail.

No doubt that's why many of today's successful female scientists stress the importance of having strong mentors-as all five winners of this year's L'Oréal USA Fellowships For Women in Science did growing up.

The University of Nebraska - Lincoln is bringing together outstanding student researchers in Physics and Astronomy for a four-day conference, from Thursday, October 7th through Sunday, October 10th. Undergraduate students are invited to take part in this unique opportunity to expand upon their current research experiences, interact with physics and astronomy students from other universities, and attend scientific talks given by scientists who are leaders in their field. All local expenses, including food and hotel accommodation, are covered by sponsors, and there is no registration fee. In addition, they are able to provide travel scholarships to undergraduate participants. Support is given upon request by the supervising faculty.

We pride ourselves on being a nation of diversity. But when it comes to diversifying our workforce in high-tech fields of tomorrow, well, let's just say we still have a lot of work to do.

Consequently, as we attempt to motivate more young students into the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), it is paramount that we also increase our efforts to include more women and underrepresented minorities in these fields.

To put it succinctly, if America is to retain its role as a global leader in technology, it is essential that we tap the imagination and intellectual contributions of women, African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans -- groups that have traditionally been poorly represented in STEM professions.

Back to top.7. Observe the Moon NightFrom: Michele Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu]

International Observe the Moon Night: September 18, 2010

Saturday night, September 18, is the first annual International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN). NASA organized the event for people who are curious about Moon and would like to find out more about it. Professional and amateur astronomers, astronomy clubs, planetariums, science centers and all astronomy enthusiasts worldwide are invited to mark the inauguration of this annual event by attending a NASA center or a local sponsor. More information on this IYA event can be found at

The Astronomy Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor appointment in observational or theoretical cosmology, to begin as early as 16 August 2011.

The department has vibrant research programs in many areas, including cosmology. Facilities for millimeter astronomy and computational astrophysics are particular strengths, as the Department is a member of the CARMA consortium, and the University is the site of NCSA and the Blue Waters petascale computing system that will go online in 2011. Illinois is also a member of the Dark Energy Survey and will host the main data repository for the LSST.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Astronomy or a closely related field. Salary is competitive. Please create your candidate profile through

and upload application materials through this system, including your application letter, curriculum vitae, publication list, and statement of research plans. In addition, three letters of recommendation must be sent to search_at_astro.illinois.edu.

To ensure full consideration, all materials (including letters of recommendation) must be submitted by the closing date of 1 December 2010. Although early applications are appreciated and interviews may be conducted before the closing date, no hiring decision will be made until after the closing date. For more information about the Department or the search, please phone Dr. Bryan Dunne at 217-333-5537, email search_at_astro.illinois.edu, or go to